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Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge 2013

I am so excited and happy to say that I am participating in Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge 2013. Its a 50 km circuit around kathmandu. All funds collected go towards BUILDING an eco-designed birthing facility in Sharmali, Baitadi.

HELP ME RAISE FUNDS FOR A BIRTHING CENTER IN BAITADI, NEPAL!

The birthing facility in Baitadi

Birthing center in Sharmali, Baitadi 2013

Every year, 25,000 infants die in Nepal due to lack of proper birthing facilities. Baitadi, a mountainous district in far-western Nepal, has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.

As part of Save the Children’s EVERYONE CAMPAIGN, I will cycle in Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge 2013 to raise as much as I can. This fund will be used to build a birthing facility in Sharmili VDC, Baitadi. This will be an Eco-Designed building, providing the best facilities to the women and children in this remote VDC. The principle is simple – no more minimum standards for our women and children. They deserve the best standards. They deserve a birthing facility that is beautiful, secure, earthquake proof, welcoming, warm and everything that we expect facilities to be like in the city. And this is what we aim to do.

ABOUT KORA

Every year, on the third Saturday in July, riders from Nepal and different nationalities gather in Kathmandu (last year we were close to 300 riders) to ride a personal challenge ride of 50 kilometers around Kathmandu Valley. This is now popular as the KATHMANDU KORA, this year on its third edition.

Started in 2011, a modest 35 riders challenged themselves and got pledges of around half a million Nepali Rupees for a school and an orphanage in Kathmandu. In its second edition, almost 300 riders turned up and raised close to a million rupees for upgrading birthing facilities in RUKUM, a rural mountainous district in Nepal.

A Kora is circumambulation devotees make around religious sites, usually clockwise. This is a Kora of Kathmandu, of the three main religious sites of Swayambhunath, Boudha, and Pashupatinath.

YOU CAN HELP

You can pledge Rs. 100 for each km I ride. Also, you could consider participating yourself. Each of our support counts !! Contact Me now if you want to help.

THE ROUTE

The trip starts from Patan Durbar square and ends at Patan Durbar square taking a round trip to the town. The following map shows the route of this trip.

I took a pic of the coupon because I liked the “I RODE FOR A CAUSE ” part, Even though it was already in our hands before the ride even started. Maybe this very thing kept us going.

THE RIDE

“Katti Dherai!!!” – local kids playing on the streets says in big surprise. Yeah, It was BIG. I don’t have an exact data but indeed the number of cyclists was HUGE. It was so cool to see a very long chain of cyclists making the snaky walkways on hills their own. I wish I had taken some pictures there. The ride was FUN realllll fun. But when it comes to STOPS, I felt really bored, cuz I had no one to talk to and seeing people enjoying, taking pictures… ahh… painful! But when I was riding, I was enjoying every Puddle of mud, bushes, every uphill, downhill, every people, everything. I felt,”I have to be here often”. Surely this ride has amplified my love towards cycling.

Stunt show during lunch at Samat School, Boudha.

FINALLY AT THE FINISH LINE 🙂

It was a great ride, though I was all alone, in hundreds of us who were riding together. The first half of the circuit was amazing, mild sun, green everywhere. The second half became harsh due to sun, dust, etc wished rain showered on us for a minute but no luck at all. I managed to be with the very first group there was. And ended with them, I survived the whole circuit, though my phone died in 43.85 Km. Anyways, loved cycling in a crowd, got to see very cool riders and their stunts :). It was so good to see ppl of all age groups were participating. And foreign ladies talking Nepali, wearing Hariyo Chura 🙂 .

After finishing the circuit, I felt it was just not enough! I wish I had done 75K. Anyways next year… I surely will be taking the 75K challenge. 🙂